Chapter: 33

The Fall of Lucien - The Five Things He Wanted

1. Lucien wanted forgiveness, although he would never admit to it.

2. Lucien wanted his brother to be well, and he knew Nadia was the answer.

3. Lucien wanted control of his life again, the way it was before he was ostracized.

4. Lucien wanted the comforts of a stable home and a loving family.

5. Lucien wanted most of all was revenge and only Nadia’s death would satisfy.

“Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.”

Hebrews 13:2

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Lucien walked gracefully out of the hospital and into the warm afternoon of Nevada. He knew he needed two things. First, he had left a small handgun hidden inside of the car they had driven here to the hospital. The other thing was that he needed a key to a safe deposit box that he had also stashed in the same car.

He strolled cautiously over to the parking lot area of the hospital and spied Buck’s truck still in its same parking space.

He crept up to the big truck and took out the key he had stolen from Buck when he was not looking. He then proceeded to raffle through the back seat, looking for his prized possessions.

After finding them and carefully placing them on his person, he was about to start the engine in the process of stealing Buck’s truck, when he noticed a black car parked across from the hospital. He also noticed the man sitting behind the wheel in the black suit and dark sunglasses. He decided he would take this opportunity to re-acquaint himself with the man.

He moved stealthy across the parking facility and across the street until he was behind the car. He smoothly ducked behind the car and bent over gradually crept to the front of the car.

Once he was near the driver’s side window, he took his .22 caliber weapon out of his pocket and then popped up quickly, pointing his gun through the open car window.

The man in the car turned, startled by the revelation of a gun pointing at his head and started to move his hand towards his jacket. But not fast enough.

“Don’t try it, Devon or I might have to mess up that pretty suit of yours.”

Devon took off his glasses and glared angrily at the young blond.

“Lucien!” he spat. “I should have known you wouldn’t be far away from that no good brother of yours.”

Lucien only smiled, tightening his hold on the gun. “Get out of the car, now. And make sure I can see your hands,” replied Lucien calmly.

Devon knew that Lucien was not someone he wanted to take on at this moment. He remembered how dangerous the man was and knew he was good with a gun.

Devon slowly, got out of the car, holding his hands out in front of him. When the man was fully out of the car, Lucien pushed the gun to his temple and with his other hand he searched the man thoroughly.

Lucien pulled out the .45 caliber gun that was in Devon’s shoulder holster and held it aloft, peering at in wonderment.

“Oh, I see we have a penis envy problem,” said Lucien snidely, placing the gun into the waistband of his pants. “Now, turn around and put your hands behind you.”

Devon did not like what was about to happen and he knew Nadia would be just as angry. He was suppose to watch the men for the opportunity to acquire them and now he had found himself snared by someone he had once sworn to kill.

Devon reluctantly complied with Lucien’s request, although he wished it was the other way around. He grunted as Lucien forcibly pulled his hands together and placed a plastic tie around them. He then pushed Devon to the passenger side of the car and motioned him in.

“You know when Nadia finds out you’re a dead man,” said Devon angrily.

“I’m already dead, Devon. So there is nothing Nadia can do to me,” whispered Lucien into his ear.

Devon twitched slightly at that comment. As far as he was concerned, this man was not playing with a full deck.

But what Devon did not know was that Lucien was desperate and a desperate man was a dangerous man.

Lucien then got into the driver’s seat of the car and turned to his captive. “Let’s go see, Nadia, shall we?” He then turned the ignition and the car drove away.

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Chris consciousness awoke to voices, not the usually ones that now usually inhabited his mind, but voices belonging to people he knew.

“He still sleep?” That was Josiah Sanchez. His friend and sometimes the keeper of his soul when he felt God would not answer his questions.

“Yep, ain’t woke up yet and I’ve been itchin’ to talk to ‘im.” That was Vin Tanner’s tired voice. His twin soul and the one person who could keep him grounded when he had trouble keeping his feet on terra firma.

“Well, the sedatives he was given through the night will wear off soon. Let’s just hope we don’t have to use anymore. Besides, his temperature is up and I really don’t want Dr. Cohen to use it again until he has been fully examined awake.” That caring voice was Nathan Jackson, the one who always saved them, time and time again from their flirts with death.

“I just hope I never see him like that again,” came a yawned reply. That was JD, the kid that kept his heart as well as his mind youthful.

“The good news is that I and JD have discovered a plausible plan through Nadia defenses and will be able to extricate her from her abode in order to acquire the antidote.” Now that was Ezra. He was the one that kept them sharp and made them realized there was always an out.

But the voice Chris did not hear was the one he was hoping to hear. The one that infected his dreams and left him with such a foreboding. Lucien was not among them and Chris needed to know that he was safe among the ones he called brothers.

He opened his eyes and slowly a face leaning close to him that carried clear blue eyes of concern was looking directly at him.

“Chris? Ya awake!” exclaimed Vin happily, his face moving slightly away from him. Vin was seated next to his bed in a chair, his white-bandaged ribs peeking through a small slit in the bed railing.

Chris did not reply. He was too busy doing a head count. His eyes roved around the room, counting the faces for each of the voices.

Buck was in a chair near the door. He looked like he hadn’t been asleep in long time. Chris could see the beginnings of a day old shadow forming on the chiseled face. That was not like Buck. He usually liked to keep himself clean-shaven for the ladies.

He then noted Ezra standing to the side of Buck. He seemed busily going through some type of document in one hand and sipping what must be coffee in the other. He could see that those green eyes were squinting at the paper in front of him and Chris knew Ezra probably spent too many nights doing what he was doing now which was resulting in eye strain.

He eyes then moved towards the end of his bed and saw Nathan and Josiah standing near it, their eyes on him with worry and ready to burst with questions, but he knew they would hold their tongues until he acknowledged their presence.

He turned his head to the other side of the room and found JD lying on the bed that Vin had previously occupied, his legs stretched out and shoeless, his eyes red with lack of sleep.

In fact, it looked like they all had not slept in days and guilt overwhelmed him as the realization dawned on him that it was probably because of him.

However, it still did not relieve his anxiety at the fact that the one person who he needed to see was not there.

He then turned back to Vin. “Vin? Where’s…Where’s Lucien?” he said in a weak voice that did not sound like his own.

Vin looked to the others briefly and then turned his piercing gaze back to him. “Chris, we don’t know.”

“What…what…don’t?”

“We don’t know where he is, Chris. He disappeared a couple of hours ago when he supposedly went to get coffee. He never came back.”

Chris felt hot. He wanted to push the sheet off his body, and tried until he reasoned out that his hands and feet were secured to the bed.

“Hot. It’s…hot.”

“I know, Chris. You have a fever,” replied Nathan.

“Did you look for…him?” asked Chris trying to find a comfortable spot on the bed. It felt like something was poking into his side.

Vin noticed how Chris squirmed on the bed. “Somethin’ wrong, Pard?” he asked.

“Didn’t…didn’t answer my question,” was all Chris replied. He needed to find out what happened to his brother.

“We have searched the hospital facility and it’s grounds. We also ascertain that he took Buck’s keys to his truck, but we could not understand why the truck is still in its designated parking space. Rest assured, Mr. Larabee, we will find him,” responded Ezra, walking closer to the bed.

“How are you feeling, Chris?” asked Nathan, wondering if the blond agent’s mind was back to normal.

“Got a…headache. Feel…feel hot.”

“No more…?” started JD.

“JD!” warned Buck eyeing him annoyed.

“Sorry, Buck. I forgot.”

“No more what?” questioned Chris glaring at each of his them.

“Ya know, Cowboy. Voices,” said Vin truthfully. He needed Chris to know that no matter what that he could trust him to be honest with him.

Chris paused thoughtfully. He closed his eyes, but the voices were not there anymore, at least not now. He wondered if that was a good sign or maybe they found someone else to torture.

He opened his eyes and found his friends staring at him, waiting patiently for his response.

“Nope. Gone.”

“You sure, Chris?” asked Josiah doubtfully.

“I SAID NO!” yelled Chris.

“Uh, oh,” thought Vin.

“Take it easy, Chris,” said Nathan. “Josiah’s just concerned, like the rest of us.”

Chris did not seem to hear or did not want to hear. He turned to look directly at Vin and said, “Vin, you got to find Lucien. I think he’s gon’na to do something really stupid and dangerous.”

“Why do ya say that, Chris?”

“’Cause he told me, Vin. You got to go look for him,” pleaded Chris.

“And just when did he tell ya this, Chris?” asked Buck, now also interested in this conversation since he had been here all day and Lucien had yet to make a reappearance.

“I don’t know. I was asleep but I could hear him talking,” answered Chris innocently.

“So it was a dream, Mr. Larabee?”

“Yes…no…I don’t know,” replied Chris despondently. “Vin, you gotta help me.”

Vin wanted to believe his friend. He wanted to believe that Chris’ mind was back to normal and that the man did not dream the conversation. He looked at Nathan and Nathan slowly shook his head.

Nathan was scrutinizing his boss. In his opinion Chris probably dreamed the conversation or worst it was a hallucination, which meant it was another symptom of the drug. Already Chris’ temperature was rising and he knew that was one of the other symptoms of the drug. He was trying to tell Vin this and to make him understand that they could not necessarily believe everything that the sick blond was saying.

Chris was not oblivious to the silent conversation that went on between Vin and Nathan. He said, “Vin, you promised! You…promise me you would help me!”

While Vin tried to decide how to answer his friend, Nathan quietly asked Josiah to go and request the nurse to bring a sedative for the blond agent. He did not think that Chris was going to calm down.

Chris watched as Josiah walked out of the room and knew what was coming next. He started struggling and tried to wrench his arms free of their restraints. “PLEASE, VIN!” he screamed. “DON”T LET THEM!”

Nathan and Buck quickly pushed Vin aside and tried to keep the blond from thrashing violently on the bed. They thought he would damage himself even more and they could not let that happen.

Vin wedged his way back towards the bed, making it clear to Nathan and Buck that he was not going anywhere. He grabbed Chris’ arm and said, “I always keep my promises, Cowboy. Don’t worry. We’ll find ‘im.”

Suddenly, Josiah, followed by Sheila the nurse came into the room, carrying a syringe and Chris tried to back away from it. “NO! NO! Please don’t!” he cried.

But it was to no avail. The nurse injected the sedative in his IV and Chris felt the sensation of the medicine slowly entering his hand and into his bloodstream.

As the sedative took affect, Chris movements weakened and as soon as Nathan and Buck were positive that he was asleep, they released their hold, looking grimly at their friend.

Vin watched with pain and fear as Chris succumbed to the forced sleep. He did not like what was being done to his friend, but he knew that Nathan and Buck were doing only what they thought was for the best.

Now, Vin decided it was his turn to do what was best for his friend. He turned to the two men and said, “I believe Chris.”

“Now Vin, ya ain’t gon’na believe that…”

“Buck! I believe ‘im and if ya don’t want to help me find Lucien then I’ll do it by myself!” Vin replied with determination.

Buck and the others saw the stubbornness in the man’s blue eyes and knew he would do just that.

“Okay, Vin. Okay,” relinquished Buck. “Well start a search. Ezra?”

“Already on it, Mr. Wilmington,” responded Ezra. “I will see what my confidants can discover of our absconded compatriot.” He then walked out of the room, still carrying the floor plan and his coffee.

“JD, go help him,” ordered Buck.

“Sure, Buck,” said JD, jumping up from Vin’s bed and proceeding to follow Ezra out the door.

“Now, Vin, you need to get back in that bed, or I’ll have you tied down too!” snapped Nathan.

Vin was about object when Nathan held up his hand to stop him. “Don’t want to hear any of your excuses. Just get in that bed! Now!”

“Alright, Nate. Ya don’t have to get all riled up,” said Vin standing up from the chair he was sitting in for the last three hours. As he stood, he felt a pull on his ribs and grimaced in pain.

“That’s it!” yelled Nathan. Nathan and Josiah both walked quickly up to the young man, each grabbing a side and helped him to walk over to his bed.

Once he was settled and the sheet pulled up to cover most of chest, Nathan stood there glaring angrily at him.

Vin noticed that Nathan was ticked off at him and said, “I’m…”

“Yeah, I know. I’m fine. Don’t want to hear it! Now close your eyes and get some rest!”

“Okay, okay, I’m goin’,” replied Vin, now feeling the exhaustion that caught up with him from the past few hours. “Just ‘member to wake me if Ezra and JD find anythin’.”

“We will, Vin,” answered Josiah smiling. “You just get some rest, okay?”

“Okay, Josiah,” said Vin. He closed his eyes, letting sleep finally overcome him with the knowledge that Chris would be watched over by his friends. His last thought was of Lucien and he sent a prayer hoping that the powers above would keep him safe. He knew that the health of the older blond depended a lot on the health of the younger one.

TBC.

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Chapter: 34

Satan and the Wicked

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.

And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth,

Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the

sand of the sea."

Revelations 20:7-8

“One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD,

and Satan also came with them.”

Job 1:6

Note: Satan means accuser

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Marco DeCorsia sat in his office tapping his pen against his desk awaiting the arrival of his father’s representatives. He knew these two men were more dangerous than his father.

Although they did not carry the power that his father did, they were vicious and brutal. They were the extension of his father’s arms and if his father ordered it, they would execute anyone that Roberto DeCorsia thought might stand in his way. That included his own flesh and blood.

A knock on the door threw his thoughts to the background of his mind. He knew he needed all his faculties to deal with these two men.

“Enter!”

Two men, dressed in business attire entered his office, followed closely by two of his bodyguards.

The one on the left, he knew was Jack Trell. Jack Trell was big man, taller than most. He was also heavier and Marco had found out when talking about boxers that he held the title years ago of Golden Gloves Champion of Texas back in 1985.

He was a deadly man with his hands, but that was not why his father had hired him. Jack Trell was the best sniper his father ever had. Being an ex-merc from South America, Jack had boast to killing at least twenty men.

But what frightened Marco the most was the gleam in his blue eyes. They showed no fear and no conscience. A man like that was deadly and no mercy would be shown from him.

The one on the right was Frank Marino. Frank was a much smaller man, being of Asian persuasion. He had met him a couple of years ago at one of his father’s big conferences.

Most people thought Frank had Italian ancestry based on his name. But Marino was a common name among Asians, especially Chinese ancestry. He had assumed it was because of Italian conquest of the Orient, but it was only an assumption.

Marino was much more deadlier than Trell. He had a black belt in Karate, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do and a couple of other martial arts he did not remember. He could kill with his hands or any other part of his body. But what made him dangerous were not his expertise in the Martial Arts, but his expertise with the use of sharp objects and knives. He could throw a knife so accurately, it would severe a person’s vocal cords, cutting the jugular vein, killing in an instance without the victim making a sound. Marco had seen one of his works personally when his father requested that Marino make an example out of a man who tried to skim money from his father.

That man had ended up on the floor of a warehouse basement with his throat cut from ear to ear and his tongue hanging out of the slit in the kill of a Columbian Necktie.

Marco was not a man new to decadent and violence. He had seen men die in many ways from drowning in a bathtub, to being crucified to a wooden cross, to what he deemed was the simplistic execution of a bullet through the head. But this, this was beyond that. It was something more than just killing the offender. It was meant as a message and his father, a native Columbian, enjoyed using Pablo Escober, his hero, a notorious Columbian drug lord’s, style of execution.

Marco scrutinized the two men. If his father had sent them, then things were in a more dire strait than he thought.

“Hello, Trell, Marino.”

The two men simultaneously nodded to Marco in acknowledgement, but still did not speak.

“So my father sent you?” asked Marco tentatively. He had to keep his calm. If they thought he was hiding anything he knew they would report this back to his father.

The two men did not answer. They stood their ground and their silence.

“Is there something wrong? Does my father want something of me?”

Jack Trell finally moved to stand in front of Marco. His blue eyes glared at him, taking in his countenance as if measuring Marco’s strength. “Your father is not happy, Marco. He sent myself and Marino here to ensure that his files are returned and Larabee pays for his insolence.”

“But I have everything in hand,” explained Marco. “My father has nothing to worry about.”

“But your father does not feel the same way, Marco,” said Marino as he also moved closer to the man. “He has sent us to insure that his property is returned. Immediately and expediently.”

“Have you recovered the files yet?” inquired the tall red-haired man.

“Well, no, not yet. But I have my people working on it and…”

“And nothing, Marco,” said Marino, not letting Marco finish his sentence. “We have come to make sure that we get the files and Larabee at any cost. Your father will not be happy if we fail and we plan on not making your father disappointed in us.”

“Unfortunately, Larabee is not in my possession at the moment, but he will be, I promise.”

“Marco, Marco, Marco,” said Trell stepping even closer to the man. “Your father does not make money on promises. He wants guarantees, even from his own son.”

“Where is Larabee now?” asked Marino, taking a seat in one of the chairs near Marco’s desk.

Marco walked away from the tall redhead that was in his face and managed to calmly sit back down in his chair on the other side of the desk, as Trell took a seat next to Marino. Marco then casually wiped a hand at the sweat on his forehead. These men always had that affect on him.

“Unknown at the moment, I’m afraid,” said Marco hesitantly.

Marino quirked an eye at Marco and then turned to glance at Trell.

“Well, Patron DeCorsia wants them both. If you can’t find them, then we will. And if we find them first, your father is not going to be very happy,” stated Trell as he stood up from the chair.

“And you know how your father is when he’s not happy,” said Marino, standing up also with a wicked smile crossing his face.

The two men then turned and walked out of the door.

Once they were gone, Marco sighed despondently. He was in deep trouble now. He had not only his respective buyers coming to take the file information off his hands, for a price of course, but he also had his father’s tow most dangerous men on his tail.

He had to get in touch with Devon and find out if he had any information as to where Larabee was. He needed to get to him before the others or all his plans were going down the drain.

He picked up the phone and dialed the cell phone number he had for Devon. Unfortunately it just kept going to his answering machine. It said, “Hi, this is Devon. I am not in at the moment. Leave your name and number and I will return your call as soon as I am available.”

At the beep, Marco said desperately into the phone, “Devon! Where the hell are you? Listen, I need Larabee now! Not tomorrow. Not next week, but now! If you have a problem with this, then the deal’s off!”

Marco slammed the phone down with such violence that his desk shook with the vibration. He then lowered his head into his hands trying to think of a way of out his predicament.

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Chris slowly came aware to voices interrupting his sleep. The voices were insistent and painful. They seemed to be demanding and wanting something. He wished they would just let him sleep, to stay in the darkness that kept the pain and the dread away. But that was not to be.

He opened his eyes and looked around and found that his friends that were there earlier were gone, all except his companion that shared the room with him. He was lying on his bed, his eyes closed and Chris assumed that he was asleep.

He determined that the voices were not that of his friends, but of the ones that currently shared his mind, albeit, without his permission. He wanted them to go away, to leave him.

They sang to him softly, calling his name, telling him that they knew what was best for him. He tried to drown them out by humming to himself and when that did not work, he started reciting passages from the Bible.

So engross in trying to ignore the voices, Chris did not notice that a face of an angel, that held a pair of bright blue eyes were staring at him in concern and fear.

Vin knew that Chris did not know he was awake. Vin could not sleep. His dreams were always filled with thoughts of Chris and the voices. It troubled him greatly that his friend might be losing what sanity he had left after the death of his family. He could not watch his friend die like this. He knew they all had to die someday, but not with some type of dignity. It went against everything in his grain that made him who he was and he knew if Chris were well, it would anger the man too.

Vin watched quietly as Chris stirred awake and then watched him as he started to hum, loudly his hands twisting within the restraints. Vin knew then that it was the voices that his friend was trying to drown out and his heart dropped into his stomach.

Vin’s IV bag had been removed earlier. The nurses said that he could take his medication orally from now on and he was happy about that. He hated needles anyway.

The others had just left to get some lunch, but were to return shortly. They did not think that Larabee would be awake anytime soon since the doctor had explained that the amount of sedative the nurse had given him earlier would probably keep him asleep most of the afternoon. They were wrong and they should have remembered how Chris held a resiliency against the sedatives.

Vin remembered a few months ago when he had found him drunk out at the ranch and he had questioned Larabee on why he drank so much. His reply was, “Can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t forget. It’s the reason why.”

And Vin knew it was the reason why he took the drugs too. He was trying to forget the deaths of his wife and son, but all his actions did were to create physical pain for the Chris and he did not know how to stop it.

But Vin swore he would die before he let the man go back to that again. He was not going to let his friend sink into that deep dark abyss of depression to die. Not as long as Vin was alive and he knew the others would agree with him.

Vin shook his head out of his thoughts when he heard Chris reciting passages from what he knew was the Bible. The humming had him concerned, but now Chris was babbling like a crazy man.

“The word of the Lord came to me, Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel and say to the land of Israel, thus says the Lord, Behold, I am against you and will draw my sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord. I have drawn my sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again,” said Chris, his eyes closed against seeing anything but the words in his head.

“Chris?” called Vin cautiously. He did not wish to startle the blond. Crazy or no, Christopher Michael Larabee was still a dangerous man. He looked into his friend’s face and could see that his eyes were shut tight against all intrusion.

Chris did not hear Vin’s call. The voices were still trying to get his full attention and Chris was not willing to give in.

“As for you, son of man, groan with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes. And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,' declares the Lord God.”

As Vin took each small step that would bring him closer to his friend, he felt his ribs starting to shift under the pressure of his movements. But Vin chose to ignore it. He needed, no he wanted to get to his friend and bring him back to where he belonged, here among his friends and the ones who cared for him.

“And the word of the Lord came to me, ‘Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord; Say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished, sharpened for slaughter polished to flash like lightning!” yelled Chris, as he squirmed in the restraints trying to break free.

“Chris! Chris, it’s me, Vin!” shouted Vin over the din of Chris rambling voice. He then sat on the edge of the bed and placed the man’s right hand into his.

Chris felt something soft and warm in his own hand, but he still refused to open his eyes. The hand gave him something tangible to hold on to, something that would keep him in the world of reality. He grasped that hand as if it was a lifeline that would prevent him from slipping further into the dark abyss.

Vin noticed the grip on his hand. He knew that he was somehow reaching his friend through his turmoil thoughts. “That’s it, Cowboy. That’s it. Come on back to us,” said Vin softly.

Chris did not answer. But his ramblings softened in volume. He replied, “As for you, son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times, the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, that their hearts may melt, and many stumble. At all their gates I have given the littering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; it is taken up for slaughter. Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the Lord have spoken.”

“I don’t know what’s goin’ on in that head of yours, Pard, but I need ya here with us,” said Vin pleadingly.

Vin was about to say something else, when he noticed a pair of green eyes staring at him from the bed.

“Chris? Ya with me, Pard?”

Chris did not answer him, but instead keep his eyes fixed on the young sniper’s face and said, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because the Philistines acted revengefully and took vengeance with malice of soul to destroy in never-ending enmity’ therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I will stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the rest of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them’.”

Vin did not understand what was going on, but he knew Chris was trying to let him know that he was there, with him.

“They can’t hurt ya, Cowboy. I won’t let them. Ya hear? I won’t let them.”

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’."

Vin knew this recitation very well. It was from the Book of Genesis. He and Chris had spent a whole week reading and memorizing the passages. It was to be used as a code when they found themselves in dire need of help from one another. This one piece had Vin worried, as it was their way of telling each other that danger was near and to be careful.

Vin then said, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

He did not know where this was leading, but he would go along with it for his friend.

Chris then squeezed Vin’s hand tighter and replied, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. The sixth day, Vin.”

Vin knew Chris was trying to tell him something, he just could not understand what. “Sixth day, Chris? What happens on the sixth day?”

“Sixth day, Vin,” said Chris, his eyes slowly closing.

“No, Chris. Stay with me. I need to understand.”

“Sixth…day, Vin. Quid me…nutrit…me destruit, Vin. Sixth…” and with that he watched as his friend lost consciousness.

“No, Chris!” he yelled, trying to shake the man back awake. But it was to no avail. Vin leaned over and grabbed the call button for the nurse. He needed her to find his friends, fast. He had to tell the others. Chris was trying to tell him something, but his mind was too muddy with medication and pain to understand. For some reason the sixth day was important and Chris had also uttered the same quote that he had when he first found him imprisoned in Nadia’s home. He did not know what it all meant, but he knew it was important. Maybe the others could decipher what Chris was trying to say.

While he waited for the nurse to come and hopefully find the others, he looked down at his friend and said, “Don’t worry, Chris. Everything’s gon’na be fine. Ya’ll see.”

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Chapter: 35

Michael, Gabriel, Israfel, Lucifer and The Sixth Day

“What is a fallen angel, though? A fallen angel is a being created by God and who, for some reason, disobeyed Him and for punishment, was hurled from heaven to dwell within what we know as hell. Fallen angels come from all orders of the celestial hierarchy, from the rank of the Angel, to the rank of the Seraphim, like Lucifer. If you parallel this to mankind, then any person, whether it be the leader of a powerful nation, to the person next door, could fall.”

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cbenton/fallen%20angels.htm

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.”

Genesis 1:31

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Lucien and Devon had arrived at Nadia’s home without incident. Before reaching the house, Lucien had realized Devon’s hands, but still kept the man closed to his side, as he held the gun into his ribs. He had explained to him in no uncertain terms that if he cried out, or try to warn the other men what was up, he would not hesitate to put a bullet in him. Devon knew not to take the man likely.

They walked side by side, Lucien ever so often glancing at Devon to see if he would try anything. But Devon knew better and felt once inside the house he would have the upper hand.

Two men stood guard at the front door and eyed Devon and his new companion suspiciously.

Devon nodded to them and said, “Is Miss Diaz home?”

The man on the far right nodded and waved both men inside.

Devon nodded his thanks again and led Lucien into the house.

Once inside the house, Lucien found it devoid of people. He turned to Devon and said, “Where is everyone?”

Devon did not answer at first and Lucien prodded him in the ribs with the barrel of the gun.

“Unh!” exclaimed Devon at the poke he received. He then turned brown eyes to glare at the man who had hurt him. “Don’t know about the servants. Nadia does not usually let any of the men in her house unless it is an emergency. It’s usually only me and two other men that are allowed inside.”

“And where are your two friends now?”